THE BIG QUESTIONS OF 2020
CAN FERRARI FINALLY BEAT MERCEDES?
In 2017 Sebastian Vettel could have stolen the title from Lewis Hamilton. In 2018 Vettel should have won the title. In 2019 they could have been a lot closer in the points table than they ultimately were. On the whole, it’s fair to say that over the past three seasons the red camp hasn’t fulfilled its potential to the extent that the team in silver has. That’s not my opinion – that’s just fact.
The team has the money, the people, the facilities and the drivers to fight against Mercedes and therefore the answer to the question is always: yes, it can. But will it? Recent history shows that this is a different matter.
Despite all the rumours and accusations in the paddock, the Ferrari power advantage in qualifying seemed to remain a mystery to the other engine suppliers. Last season the Mercedes was probably the faster race car at 70% of the tracks, and the only way a slower car is going to win the title is by executing an error-free season with stellar performances and strategic brilliance. The problem for Ferrari is that Hamilton makes very few errors, is an excellent qualifier and Mercedes doesn’t often get it wrong strategically.
The other issue last year was that the Ferrari seemed harder on its tyres than the Mercedes, probably as a result of having a bit less downforce. This meant that, even if Vettel and Charles Leclerc could qualify well, they couldn’t necessarily beat the Mercs on Sunday, as races like the Mexican Grand Prix showed.
Leclerc will be better in his second season at the team. From June’s French GP onwards he was brilliant, so expect more of the same. Towards the end of the season Vettel showed in races such as Singapore, Russia and Japan
